Metal Gear Genesis: Prisoners of War
by AugustCloud
Summary: A terrorist group known as The Prisoners of War set out to spread chaos for what war has done to them. A renown military scientist has gone missing. And there appears to be a mole within FOXHOUND. The lines between friend and foe are beginning to blur. And when secrets begin to fall, and the truth becomes harder to swallow, just what side of the line will Snake be on? R&R.
1. Legends, Soldiers, and Patriots

"_I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." _

― **Albert Einstein**

As the smoke entered his lungs, David couldn't help but let his mind wander. Sitting in the Helicarrier, waiting for orders, was the worst part. After all, he had already been briefed on the situation. Everything else was just the usual politics and rules that were told at the beginning of every op. And of course, there were plenty of details that he wasn't able to be told. Campbell was a fairly reasonable man, but he was military top-brass. Add their secret Special Forces unit FOXHOUND onto that, and you can tell that the man had secrets. Hell, even his secrets had secrets. Nonetheless, he trusted Roy Campbell completely, even if he was a colonel.

The lights were dim in the cargo hold that David waited in. There were only glimpses of light coming from the various screens and warning lights around the equipment. That and the light of the cigarette he managed to sneak aboard. No one would wonder where he had gone for some time now. It was common for a soldier to take a few moments before a mission to gather his thoughts. David just did this by smoking, and killing his lungs slowly with every breath he took.

_-Snake, I need to speak with you. Come to my quarters-_ Campbell's voice echoed through David's codec. He sighed as he put the cigarette out and placed it inside a disposable canister. After struggling to get up due to him forgetting that he was in the air, he got out of the Cargo Hold. David was around 6'0'' and weighed around 180, and walking through the cramped corridors of what FOXHOUND was calling _"The Patriot"_ wasn't his favorite thing to do.

_Hmph, they're trying way too hard._ David thought to himself. It felt like he was walking on a flying American Flag full of stereotypical soldiers. Of course, it was far from the truth, but FOXHOUND had to make certain that the American powers that knew of their presence trusted them. If that meant calling their base of operations _The Patriot_ then by all means.

"OOOF! Oh, I'm so sorry!" a high pitched voice shouted as whatever it came from bumped into David. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the woman that was rushing through the corridor towards him. She dropped whatever files were in her hands, but seemed more concerned about bumping into him.

"No, that was my fault. Are you alright?" David asked, his voice still more rough than usual because of his cigarette sneak. It was as if his voice had sent a hard chill down the woman's back, because she jumped in surprise when he spoke.

"AH! Oh… um… yes I'm fine. Just clumsy. Gosh, so stupid of you, Mei." She said as she shuffled quickly to get the papers back into the folder. David stood up with a few in his hands and held them out to her. She looked up at him and analyzed his face. Cleanly shaved. Somewhat tanned Caucasian skin. Dark blue eyes. And dark brown hair. She stared in what David could only describe as shock.

"Wow. So you're uh…" she couldn't finish her sentence, but David had been through this a few times before. He handed her the papers.

"Yeah. And you are?"

"Uh I'm… My name's Mei. Mei Ling. You're…" She hesitated as she met his eyes once more. They were both silent for a split second until she spoke once more.

"It's an honor to be in the presence of the student of Big Boss himself. I'm terribly sorry again for bumping into you." Mei Ling said. Before David could even reply, she ran off. He couldn't help but feel a bit angered, but he also understood. Word spreads fast in FOXHOUND, and it was no secret that David was trained by the legendary soldier known as Big Boss. It was one of his proudest achievements to ever be recognized by him, but it also seemed to push people away…

"Ah, Snake. You're here. Good." The Colonel greeted David as he walked into his quarters. Campbell was in the prime age to get out of the combat field and into a desk. He should've been back in the states trying his hardest to live a normal life. But both he and David knew that was no life for men like them

"You wanted to see me."

"Yes. To fill you in on a little change in the mission. Nothing major. In fact, I think it will make your job a whole lot easier." Campbell said with a smile. Something had to have happened in the fifteen minutes or so that David had gone to take a smoke break that had gotten the Colonel in such a good mood.

"What is it?"

"You won't be going in alone after all."

"What do you mean?" David asked. He had been used to solo operations. In fact, for the most part, it was what he was trained for. The only person he had ever really been side by side with in the heat of battle was…

"He means you've got yourself one hell of a partner on this mission, kid." A voice came from behind. David turned, and standing there was a man with silver hair, a red bandana over his head, and a sly smile across his face. His eyes seemed to be just as gray as his hair too, and stared right through David.

"You've heard the stories. The legendary Gray Fox. The perfect solider. Well, this is him." Campbell said with joy. David's eye widened as he raced through the stories of Gray Fox in his mind, remembering the inspiration he had felt when he heard them. Fox was the highest title awarded in all of FOXHOUND. And this man was the only one to ever achieve such a unit. He was an expert in all forms of combat and military technologies, and was at the top of the tier in strategic defense and infiltration.

"Gray Fox? Sir, it's an honor." David stood at attention. Gray Fox waved his hand, indicating for him to remain at ease. David relaxed, but was still tense with the presence of such an amazing soldier beside him.

"He's going to be going on the ground with you. You'll be in separate locations, but at least you'll have support. If you need to contact him by codec, his frequency will be **140.89**. Remember it." Campbell said. David nodded, already having the digits memorized. Gray Fox nodded and then reached behind him into his pack. He pulled out a black combat knife, sturdy, with a roped grip, and handed it to David.

"Here, kid. This may come in handy. Never lose sight of it." He said. David took it, admiring its craftsmanship, and then sheathed it. He wasn't used to this, having another soldier on the ground with him, but he didn't mind. This would be a quick search and rescue.

* * *

-Three Days Prior-

"_I know there's an impossibly slim chance that this will make it out to you. But Roy, my friend… if you are out there and you get this transmission. Then please. I need your help. They've… they've taken me. I'm not sure who. They're calling themselves the Prisoners of War or something of the sort. God damn it. They know of the Genesis project. They know everything. Somehow. Whether there was a leak within or there's a mole, they know!"_

"_You need to find her. You need to find my daughter and put her under protective custody. Take her to a secure location, and then come looking for me. Not until my daughter is safe… don't you dare come here until she is safe…"_

"_I hear things. Whispers. One of them… he can go inside your mind, pluck out memories and secrets like loose hairs, and can plant new ones if he wishes. He can make you see things. Hear things. Feel things. I'm not sure If I'm dreaming or…"_

"_Please… send help… I… I can't… they…"_

The transmission cut off before anything else could be said. Roy stood from his seat, unclear as to just what he was hearing. David watched the Colonel with his arms crossed. He had never seen the Colonel so distraught before.

"Colonel, who was that?" David asked. There was a long moment of silence before the Colonel responded.

"His name is Drago Madnar. He's… well strictly speaking in the United States he's a professor. He teaches medicine as well as Biotechnology. However, before he settled down he was a war time hero. He saved countless lives through surgery, technological advancements, and especially through his revolutionary development of FOXHOUND's specific type of nanomachines technology. Much like the ones you've been injected with in the past while working under Big Boss." Campbell explained. He went to his computer and switched to an image of a facility that looked to be in the middle of the ocean. There were coordinates on the screen, as well as images of Madnar and his daughter, Ellen.

"I'll be sending a team to Penza, Russia. That's where Ellen is. Once they've confirmed that she is under protective custody, I'll be sending you here." Campbell said as he pointed to the screen.

"How long do we have?" David asked. The Colonel shook his head.

"Not long enough. The transmission was encrypted, and we needed our top analysts to decipher it. We're already two days late in sending a response team."

"I understand. Will I be going in alone, or is the US sending in a seal team?"

"This will be another solo mission. You'll have to infiltrate the base on your own. Extracting Madnar is priority one. And we won't have any sort of authorization to demolish the base once he's out. The nearby nations might see it as a sign of war between the American powers and them. Stealth is essential, Snake." Campbell expressed his concerns for stealth before. It was Snake's specialty, so that's why he was chosen for this. But that wasn't the only reason.

"Madnar said that there could be a leak. Or worse… a mole within FOXHOUND. I'm not only choosing you for this mission because of your skills. I'm choosing you because you're the only man I can trust fully, Snake." Campbell said.

"If I'm on the ground, then how will we figure out who the mole is, if there is one? You can't do it, because they'll know." David said. It was then that the door behind him slid open, and footsteps of military boots made their way toward him.

"Leave that part to me… hmph… Kept you waiting, huh?" an all too familiar voice echoed through the room. A small smile spread across David's face.

* * *

-Current Time-

David had followed Gray Fox to the central hub of _The Patriot_. The hub consisted of the entire support team for the mission. He hadn't recognized most of them, but sitting in front of a rather large computer station was Mei Ling. She was trying not to look back over to him, but he often found her slipping and gazing in his general direction.

Everything was set. They had Madnar's location, and they had a team set up. Even better, David had Gray Fox with him. It would be a simple, in-and-out operation. Suddenly, the main doors to the hub slid open.

"Ten-HUT! BOSS ON DECK!" One of the other soldiers shouted. Immediately, everyone stood up and straight, their eyes looking forward and their arms to their sides. A myth had just walked through their doors. A legend in every sense of the word. His hair both on his head and around his face were growing gray with age, but his stature was no less intimidating. His iconic eye patch coursed even more of a frightening presence to the younger members of FOXHOUND that were in the room. David watched him walk in. The man he had referred to all of these years as…

"Big Boss… We've got everything prepped for launch. Snake and Gray Fox will be on the ground, while you stand Overwatch, correct?" one of the tech heads asked. Boss ignored him, and instead focused his attention to his student, David. With a smile, he brought his hands up and placed them on the young man's shoulders.

"You're looking good in those army greens, boy. Reminds me of myself in my early days with FOX." Big Boss said. David wanted to laugh, but instead simply let a smile escape. They were both already in full gear, supporting the usual military green that soldiers of the United States Military would wear. Parachutes on their backs. And very little else to help them with their mission.

"I'm sure Campbell told you about Gray Fox tagging along?" David said, looking over to the silver haired man. He was beside one of the other female analyst of the team who had long dark hair. He could tell that he was flirting with her by the way he was leaning across her work station. And who would have a problem with it? Being hit on by a legend was nothing to be ashamed of.

"Of course. I'm the one who suggested it." The Boss said. He moved closer to Snake and then began to lip the words so that only David could see what he was saying. Through silence, they spoke the loudest.

"_I've got a lead on just who might be the mole in this unit. I need a little time, and some distractions. That's why Frank is here. Don't worry, he's a friend and can be trusted even more than you trust me, Snake."_ The Boss then turned in order to keep away any suspicion. Over the years of training, Snake had learned the art of reading and articulating the mouth movements of people. Even if no words were spoken, he could tell exactly what anyone was saying, and even if they were lying. It was a handy trick, especially in times like this.

"Listen up, everybody. I'm going to go through this only once." Big Boss said. He clasped his hands behind his back and proceeded to walk around the hub. Occasionally he would slide his hands over the equipment, feeling how sturdy it was, and watching whoever was assigned to the work station. Most diverted their eyes. Those who didn't couldn't help but show their obvious admiration (as well as intimidation) for the man.

"Doctor Madnar is not only a priority target, but he is also an old friend of mine. I am relying on all of you to work at your best. These… _**terrorists**_ have taken Madnar because of his extensive knowledge in bio-technology and his work on prototype weaponry. Now, I'm sure you can imagine what they would be capable of doing if the good doctor was _persuaded_ to helping them." Big Boss had ended his circle around the hub and was now standing in front of Snake.

"So be on your guard. Assist your comrades. And above all else… complete your mission." He stared intently at Snake on his last words before walking over to where he would be able to see an overhead view in real-time of the map. There, he could follow Snake and Gray Fox on their GPS devices, as well as place markers on the map for them to view on their radar systems.

From this point on, David was now Solid Snake. Frank was Gray Fox. And they were soldiers, not men. Their mission was to find Madnar and bring him back home. Once he was safe, then they could retaliate against the terrorists. Snake got on his chopper, and Gray Fox got on his. Across, Snake could see Gray Fox point to his ear. That's when the Codec rang.

_-Snake, remember to keep in regular radio contact with me, The Boss, and Campbell. Even though we know that Madnar is here, we have no idea what's really in store for us once we hit the ground. Let me know if you see anything strange, and I'll do the same. My frequency is **140.89** in case you forgot.-_

_-Got it. Thanks for the heads up.-_ Snake said. The chopper doors closed and they began to move. Snake rubbed his hands together, suddenly getting a bad feeling.

_-And Snake, one more thing.-_

_-Yeah?-_

_-That Mei Ling… you think she's seeing anybody?-_

Snake hung up.

* * *

_Chapter One:_

_ Legends, Soldiers, and Patriots_

* * *

_**Author's Note:** _**Well, there goes chapter one. Just the start of what will be an intense and crazy ride. As usual with most of my stories, i like to create an original feel and form, while still keep an essence of the original characters. For example, we all know Big Boss. We all know Snake. We all know Gray Fox (or at least, we all should!). I am of course keeping what makes these characters... well... themselves. But i'm also throwing in my own flare. For example, Solid Snake is usually someone who doesn't really trust too many people. But how did he get that way? Big Boss is a legend with a secret, but what is his real relationship with Snake and Gray Fox, or even Madnar? All of these questions will be answered in unexpected ways. This isn't an origin story, this isn't a rewrite of the first games. This is a whole new Metal Gear Saga. A whole new version of the beloved series we all know and love. This is... Metal Gear Genesis. (CUE EPIC THEME MUSIC!)**

**_Side Note: _Please forgive any typos or grammar mistakes. I usually go through on random occasions and repair any damage done. Also, whatever you think you know about Metal Gear lore, try and not think about it too much. I'm writing this as my own entry into Metal Gear, so not everything will be there same, but some things will. So keep an eye out :) Let me know if you spot any hints or easter eggs. speaking of which, Happy Easter!**


	2. Expect The Impossible

The chopper was getting closer to the drop off point. Snake would have to jump off before they got too close in order to reduce the risk of detection. He looked outside of the window, and couldn't help but notice just how large the compound was. Just what were they attempting to build down there? He also couldn't help but notice how cloudy the sky was. These weren't the best flying conditions, but they would have to make due.

"It's gonna be a bitch to get down there with all that wind." Snake said, half to himself and half to the soldiers beside him. There were two in total, one being a para-medic, the other a shooter in case things went messy. In reality, their purpose was invalid. If Snake and Gray Fox were caught, then the United States would deny any involvement in this mission. They'd be on their own, with no rescue whatsoever.

_-Snake, do you read me?-_ it was Big Boss calling over Codec.

_-Yeah, I hear you. What's up, Boss?-_ Snake asked. He couldn't take his eyes off of the clouds rushing passed him. The pilot's voice echoed on the intercom and told everyone they had two minutes left until the drop.

_-It's going to be a rough ride down. Gray Fox is being deployed closer to the water surrounding the base, and he'll be swimming his way to his side of the camp. Be careful. The winds seem to be unusually rough around here.-_ Big Boss said. It was strange. Just a few minutes ago the weather had been clear with just a few clouds. Now, it seemed like there was about to be a massive storm.

Snake stood up and the final call for the drop was made. He strapped on the last of his parachute gear and slid on his mask and air-pressurization unit. There was a storm outside, Snake could see the small trickles of rain patting against the windows of the chopper. He sighed. The mission was already going to be harder, but at least this rain would give him some better cover. The Medic in the chopper slid to side door open and Snake stepped onto the edge. It was a long way down into what looked like an infinite black abyss. The only light was coming from the compound Madnar was in.

_-You'll have to concentrate on controlling your decent if you want to land perfectly. It's nothing you haven't been through before. Remember your training, and all your experience from our previous missions together. Find Madnar, Snake. We're counting on you.-_ As the words left his mouth, snake leapt from the chopper and slammed his arms to his side, forcing his body to move faster through the air. The rain drops hit hard against the visor of his mask, but all he had to focus on were the lights.

The base was a lot larger than he expected. Maybe this is why Gray Fox had joined him on the mission. There was no way that he would be able to explore this whole place on his own. Then again, all he needed was to find the doctor, and then evacuate. He kept telling himself that it was just going to be an in-and-out operation, and that the help of Gray Fox would mean it would go as smooth as ever. But Big Boss always told him to expect the impossible, and prepare for the worst.

_ -Snake, It's Gray Fox. I've made it into the base. Waiting on you-_ Fox said over Codec. Snake began counting down in his head. In a few seconds, he would have to rely on nothing but luck and estimations as to when he should pull his chute open. He grew closer and closer to the compound, but knew if he did it too soon, he would stick out like red to a bull. He counted. Waited. And when the time felt right, he pulled as hard as he could on the cords. The black chute released from his pack, and he started spiraling out of control.

"DAMN!" He shouted to himself. The cords had gotten tangled in a harsh gust of wind. It both threw him off course, and sent Snake spiraling down fast. There was barely any time to straighten it all out.

_-Boss, I've got eyes on Snake. He's tangled! He's coming down hard!-_ Gray Fox said. Boss brought up the image from Gray Fox's binoculars and saw the scene. He clenched his jaw. All they could do was hope for a miracle.

_-Snake, try to control your fall! Break the line and release your secondary chute! You have only seconds!-_ Big Boss shouted. Snake already knew this, as he was already reaching for the line of the tangled parachute with his combat knife. The wind was strong and felt like a punch in the face. It was nearly impossible to keep the knife straight.

He sliced hard and the lines were finally cut. He flipped and spread his arms and legs, forcing himself to fall much slower than he was. Once he straightened out, he pulled on his secondary chute, and prayed to god that this one worked. The chute released, and lines straightened, and a sigh of relief echoed onto the Codec as he saw the FOXHOUND logo underneath the black and gray parachute.

_-This is Snake. Situation under control. I'm landing on the outer perimeter of the base now.-_ Snake said. He pulled on the handles of his parachute, turning as best as he could to make up for the harsh winds. Finally, his feet hit the ground and the parachute fell to the waters below.

_-Good job, Snake-_ Campbell's voice echoed over the Codec. Snake made his way into cover before he began to strip the diving gear off. Once they were all off, he chucked them into the water below as to leave no traceable evidence behind. He examined himself, checking to make sure there was nothing missing from his fall. Unfortunately, the combat knife he was using to cut the lines had gone with the wind, but he did still have the black knife that Gray Fox had given him. That would be more than enough to get him by.

_-Campbell, I've made it down, and so has Gray Fox. Proceeding with the mission, now._- Snake said as he pulled the knife from its sheath. Beyond the outer gates he could already see a few guards patrolling the area. He moved from cover to cover, making sure not to make any audible noise.

_-Right. Dr. Madnar should be in the research labs on sub-level three.-_

_-Got it, but Colonel… this place is pretty big, and I counted three large building sites when I was coming down. Which one is the research labs?-_ Snake asked. He went into a prone position and began crawling slowly. Now, he appreciated the rain that fell from the dark clouds above. It gave him more cover, and it made the guards sloppy and irritated.

_-Don't worry. We weren't going to send you in blind. We've got you and Gray Fox one hell of a support team to back you up. I'll introduce you to them now.-_ The Codec switched and a different voice came on. It was a woman, more mature in her tone. A light on Snake's wrist piece blinked. When he clicked it, the woman's image and information appeared in a holograph image.

_-Pleasure to meet you, Snake. My name is Liza Payne. I'll be your weapons and equipment specialists for this mission.-_ The woman had a heavy British accent to her. Snake analyzed her file. Aside from the obvious things like name and sex, the file contained basic information on her. She was 33 years old, born in Manchester, England, and she was a weapons and technological expert for FOXHOUND. A lot of the weapons that FOXHOUND agents had used were customized by her and her team. She should shoulder length black hair, green eyes, and a small scar across her cheek, as well as a sleeve of tattoos on her arms.

_-Liza Payne. I've heard stories. It's nice to have an expert like you along for the ride. But what do I need a weapon's expert for if I just have this knife?-_ Snake asked.

_-Don't get us wrong, your presence there must be strictly secret. Stealth is essential, so we wouldn't want to send you in there with American weapons and have the baddies trace it back to us. That would cause the next world war. But that doesn't mean you can't grab weapons and equipment that you find on site. That's where I come in. I can tell you how any of the weapons work, and their history. And answer any questions you have about your own gear issued to you by yours truly-_ Snake could hear from her voice that she had a cocky smile spread across her face.

_-I didn't see you on The Patriot. I assume you're set up somewhere else?-_

_-Yes. I'm reporting to you from my workshop here in England. I don't do well with flying… Anyway, if you need to contact me, my frequency is _**141.30**_.-_

_-Great, more numbers to remember-_ Snake said. He had reached a storage room of sorts at the far end of the compound, right beside the closest building. After making sure no one was looking his way, he picked the lock and went inside. Standing there, gazing upon the mounds of rations and other supplies, was a lone soldier. Snake grinned before grabbing the man and bringing him to the ground. He tightened his grip around the soldier's neck, and within seconds he was out cold.

The wrist piece blinked again, and this time the image of a man popped up, and his information right beside him. Dr. Gordon Clark. He was 46 years old, but didn't look a day over 30. He had a goatee around his lips, and a fine set of brown hair. Green eyes and glasses. Born and raised in Statin Island, New York.

_-How's it going, Snake. My name's Gordon Clark. I'm a heath professor at John Hopkins University in Maryland. I'm also a researcher at the Maryland State Hospital for the Insane. I'll be your go to guy when it comes to the medical side of things. My frequency will be _**140.30**_-_ The man said. Snake nodded as he tossed the guard to the side and looked out the window. He looked across to the other building, and wondered just how the hell he would explore all of these places in time to find Madnar. That's when the Codec answered his own question.

_ -Uh, hey Snake. My name is Mei Ling.-_

_-Mei Ling? You're the girl I pumped into earlier today. Good to see you again.-_ Snake said as he brought up her file next. She was the youngest of them all, only being 22 years old. She was from Chicago, and spent most of her time in college. Asian American, her hair was usually kept in a ponytail in the photos, just as it had been on the Helicarrier.

_-It's nice to hear from you. I'll be your architect from now on.-_

_-An architect?-_

_-Sorry, it's sort of what I call myself. Basically, I map out the area for you, let you know about the location and what's around you. My frequency is _**141.25**. _And because I'm nice… there. I've marked the research building on your GPS. You're welcome!-_

Finally, Campbell came back onto the Codec.

_-With us, The Boss, and Gray Fox with you, there's no way this mission can fail. You have your mission, Snake. Time to move. Find Madnar, and make sure you get him to safety.-_

* * *

Gray Fox trembled as he stared at the knife in his hand. He was inside the research labs where Madnar was said to be waiting for them. The entire area leading inside was filled with guards. There was no way to get by them, he had to kill them.

_-You have your mission, Frank…-_ Big Boss said over Codec. Gray Fox nodded to himself, and tightened his grip on the knife. He took a few deep breaths and then immediately dash out of the pillar he had been hiding behind. The first soldiers saw him, raised his gun, and prepared to scream, but his throat was cut before anything could happen. The two guards beside him began to turn around. Fox grabbed one by the arm, twisted it and broke it, then jumped up and kicked the other hard in the neck, snapping it instantly. He quickly flipped and landed on the first guards neck, breaking that one as well.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" one of the other guards shouted. This alerted the rest of them. Gray Fox dashed forward and grabbed the closest soldier, ramming his knife into his chest and pushing him hard into the next closest guard. Bullets began to fly, but not for long. Gray Fox tossed his knife hard into the furthest guard's forehead, and then began attack the remaining five guards with CQC (close quarters combat) techniques. He was always hitting two at a time, landing hard hits in all of their vital areas. The neck, the ribs, the knees and elbows for easy fractures. One of his uppercuts forced a soldier to bite off his own tongue.

"Jesus, what is this guy!" one of the last two soldier's shouted. Gray Fox ran at him, and seemed to suddenly disappear, only to end up behind the guard.

"As cliché as it sounds…" Fox grabbed the guard from the neck and squeezed, completely crushing his throat. The man proceeded to choke, bleed, and die. The last soldier fell to the ground, piss soiling his pants and an impossible fear stained into his eyes. He looked up at Gray Fox. Blood covered his entire body, and there was a certain gleam in his eyes. He enjoyed the killing… he could tell. And that was what scared him the most.

"I am Gray Fox…" he pulled the knife from the fallen soldier's skull and brought it to his nose. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly. He smiled.

"I am… your worst nightmare." He ran forward, and screams echoed in the whole hall. But there was no one around to hear it. As the life escaped from the final soldier's eyes, Gray Fox sighed and sheathed his knife. He brought his hands to his blood stained face and rubbed it. All the killing. Over the years it had simply become natural for him. Often he would find himself longing to be in the battlefield, with a blade in his hands. Guns. Guns. There was no honor in such a weapon. Occasionally he had used them, but that was before he mastered the skills of swordsmanship and close quarters combat. Now, even against a skilled sniper, they were no match for Gray Fox, the legendary soldier.

_-*sigh*… Boss, it's Fox. I've taken care of the threat. Making my way to Madnar now. Are you in contact with the others?-_

_-Yes. Don't worry, you'll have company soon. Find Madnar and prepare for extract.-_ Big Boss said.

* * *

"What was that?" Snake overheard one of the soldier's asking to another. They faced each other and called in some other guards. Snake heard it too. From afar, it sounded like gunfire. But in this storm it was impossible to know for sure. Listening to their radio chatter, the guards brushed it off as thunder in the distance.

"Grrrr, damn it man I can't take this anymore. Watch my six, I'm gonna go take a deuce!" One of the guards said.

"What!? No!? You heard the commander, he said stay at your post no matter what. I told you to use the restroom before we left."

"I didn't have to go then…. Ooooooh, Be right back!"

"DAMN IT, JOHNNY!"

Snake went down on the ground in the grass nearby and waited for the soldier to turn the corner. As soon as he did, the man dropped his pants and unleashed hell. He grunted, screamed, and cursed at himself. Snake watched, and noticed that the soldier's side arm was hanging loosely.

"Oh man, this is what I get for eating my weight of rations. Ugggghhhhh… it burns."

"FREEZE!"

"OH GOD!"

Snake managed to pull the gun from its sheath without the soldier noticing. He brought the knife to the guard's neck and the gun to his head. He began to weep.

"The research facility where you're keeping Dr. Madnar. How do I get inside?" Snake asked.

"Uhh… front… door?" Snake growled and gave the soldier a whack on the head. He screamed and then his partner got worried.

"Everything alright over there, Johnny?" the soldier began to walk over. Snake pushed the gun harder against "Johnny's" head.

"Tell him… that everything's fine." Snake intimidated.

"Y-y-y-y-yes sir. Uhh… Oooo! Urrrrg! Everything's fine. Just lots of… uh… lots of poop! Ya know, lots of it just… just all over! You might not want to come over here!" he shouted. Snake could hear the guard grunt in disgust and then walk away complaining.

"Good little soldier. Now, give me a better answer and maybe I'll let you live." Snake said. The soldier trembled in fear before snapping his fingers and nearly falling over on his own waste.

"Oh yea! The maintenance guys. They said they were spraying the vents for rats tonight. If you're lucky, the vents should still be open. But uh… I wouldn't go in there. If there are rats in there, it might be kind of dirty…" the soldier said. Snake knocked him hard on the head once more, this time knocking him out. He landed on his shit with his rear in the air.

"Not a problem." Snake said. He made his way over to the research building and just like the kid said, the ventilation shaft was unlocked. He crawled in and again, just like the kid said, there were rats. Snake got onto the codec and called Mei Ling.

_-S-snake. What's up? Is everything alright?-_

_-Everything's fine, but I was just wondering. Just where in the hell did this storm come from? It's like a hurricane out there.-_ Snake said. He had undergone an impressive amount of survival training in his years under Big Boss. In those years, he had learned invaluable skills. One of them had been that where there were rats, there were entrances and exits. So if he followed the rats, he would eventually make it to an exit.

_-I've actually been trying to figure that out as well. I've been looking at the forecast for the area, and this rain seems to have come completely out of nowhere. Right now, there should be clear skies. In fact, the next account for rain isn't even in the most recent radar scans. It's strange… the storm is natural, not artificial.-_

_-So you're saying that the weather man was wrong?-_

_-I'm saying… this storm has generated on its own. And what's even more interesting, is that it's literally just in that area, and it isn't moving at all. This is impossible, especially with the wind speeds you felt earlier.-_

Snake sighed. Something felt extremely wrong about all of this. He was no weather man, but he knew that Mei Ling had brought up valid points. With wind speeds like that, a storm ought to be moving at incredible speeds. And with a storm being so bad, he would assume that it would cover a large area.

_-I'll keep looking into it, and call you back if I find anything.-_ Mei Ling said. Snake cut off the comm and rolled out of the vent. Inside the research building, there were no guards at all. Just bodies. They were all dead, either by knife wounds or others.

"What the hell…?" Snake moved, keeping his pistol at the ready in case whatever did this was still here. He heard the blinking of the elevator he would have to take in order to get to sublevel 3. And then his codec chimed once more.

_-This is Sna-_

_-Snake, it's Gray Fox. I've got Madnar, but I've been spotted. It's the terrorists.-_

Snake's eye widened and his heart raced. In the background he heard a deep, somewhat broken voice saying _Make it good for me_ and then a clash of blades. Snake ran at the elevator which was already going down. He pulled out his knife and jammed it into the opening, forcing the doors open. It was too far down to jump, so without thinking Snake latched into the cable wires and slid down the shaft.

_-Fox, hang in there! I'm coming!-_ Snake shouted. There was no response, and the Codec suddenly clicked off. Moments later, an explosion shook the entire facility.

* * *

_Chapter Two: _

_Expect The Impossible..._

* * *

_**Author's Note:** _A**nd Chapter 2 is up and running. I just had to throw in some sexy Gray Fox action in there to show the audience just how amazing he is in battle. Johnny also made a small came which is awesome. Anyway, Things are about to pick up really quick for our hero Solid Snake. Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit slow with the Codec conversations and everything, but in true Kojima fashion, Snake needs the perfect support team in order to get things done around here. I can't wait for the next chapter, where you'll finally find out just who the Terrorists actually are, and maybe even where this strange storm is coming from. REVIEW PLEASE! leave a smile! Have fun!**

_Side Note: In case you didn't know already, the Lore of the Metal Gear series is completely new this time around, straight from my brain and onto the page. So like i said before, try not to get lost in the details of the previous games or story lines. Although some things and characters are similar , not everything is as it seems in Metal Gear Genesis. Stay tuned for more TACTICAL ESPIONAGE ACTION! *cue MGS theme music*_


	3. Fit for Duty

She watched as far off in the distance, the soldier leapt from the helicopter. He was young, but had experience. The little girl was no older than twelve, but age simply left her mind. It didn't matter to her anymore. The only thing that really mattered now was following her orders. She gazed through her sniper scope, and watched as her winds forced the cords of the parachute to tangle. Inside she was smiling, proud of her storms.

"**Silence**." A deep voice came from behind. She didn't move, instead she continued to watch the man fall. It was magical. Majestic. The spiral reminded her of a tornado surrounded by rain.

"Keep the storm running. The good doctor is waiting for us." The voice said. She pointed her sniper rifle to the sky, and turned to face him. Her silver hair was blowing in the wind, but her eyes could still see perfectly in the darkness of the stormy night sky. The man standing and watching her was tall and strong. He had a cleanly shaved head, and she often found herself staring as her water droplets slid casually down his bald skin. He wore a heavy, round set of goggles and a sleeveless shirt, revealing an impressive amount of scars that trailed down his arms.

Much like the name given to her, Silence never spoke. She lived for the fine arts of Sniping, and could control and manipulate the weather and its patterns, which explained the massive storm that was in the area right now. She compensated for Silence with precision and compassion. Precision with the rifle, Compassion for her allies.

"When you're done, meet us at Sublevel three. Make sure you calm the storm when the chopper comes in." The mysterious man in front of her was Marshall. That's what everyone in their dysfunctional little family called him. Whether he was their leader or just took everything into his own hands was unknown to her. She didn't mind though. As long as she could be safe behind the scope of her precious rifle, she didn't mind who was in charge. As Marshall turned and made his way across the base, she turned and watched as the soldier released his secondary parachute, and was now falling safely to the ground. Inside… she smiled once again.

**Marshall** pulled his curved blade from its sheath and proceeded to twirl in between his fingers as he walked towards the research facility. He enjoyed listening to Silence's storms. Being blind, he appreciated the sounds and images that they brought to his mind. Of course, he couldn't bring himself to smile or ever really tell her in front of the others. Then again, it probably wouldn't matter because she never talks.

_Yeah, but I guess that doesn't mean she doesn't care. That she doesn't feel_ Marshall thought to himself. Suddenly, he pulled the knife up hard and brought it to the neck of a guard that suddenly appeared beside him.

"I hope you've come with some good news." Marshall said. The guard shivered in fear and soiled himself.

"Y-y-yes sir. Umm… the C4 has been planted. R-r-ready for detonation at your request!" the soldier said. Marshall nodded, twirled the knife away from the frightened soldier, and then made his way towards the research facility where Madnar was being held. As he opened the door, he couldn't help but grin at the site in front of him. Everyone that was standing watch was dead, and it happened in a matter of seconds. Whoever did it was still here, and they were planning on taking Madnar.

"Huh… Impressive." Marshall said to himself. He walked down the blood stained hall with the same exact stride in his step, unaffected by the death surrounding him. He could sense the battle that took place here. He could feel the addiction. The hunger for more killing. It reminded him very much of another soldier in his unit, Killian, who also longed for the enjoyment of killing.

_-Mr. Fauk, is everything in order?-_ an older man's voice came from his Codec.

_-Almost. This little soldier has some talent with a knife-_ Marshall said. He turned the corner and saw that the way was clear for him to get to the elevator. Once on, he clicked on level three and proceeded down towards Madnar's work station.

_-Well then break the toy soldier, and proceed forward. We've got to go soon.-_

As the doors opened, Marshall spotted the man. Crouching nervously behind him was Dr. Madnar. As soon as his eyes locked onto Marshall's, he fell over and screamed in a panic.

"NO! NOT YOU! Quick, we've got to run! Now!" Madnar shouted. Gray Fox grunted and brought his knife forward. The rain started to lighten up, indicating that the chopper was on the way.

"I've got about five minutes. Five minutes to teach you a thing or two about blades." Marshall said. He pulled out his seconds blade from its sheath and smiled as he got into a defensive stance. The gray haired man in front of him placed a finger to his ear and held the knife up higher, preparing to attack.

"Snake, it's Gray Fox. I've got Madnar, but I've been spotted. It's the terrorists!"

"Make it good…" Marshal said before dashing forward. He brought his curved blade down hard on Gray Fox, knocking his combat knife out of his hands. To Marshall's surprise, Gray Fox retaliated quickly to a jab towards his face. Even though he dodged it with barely any effort, he applauded the soldier.

"Nice CQC. Learn that from the Boss?"

"Shut up!" Fox shouted before sweeping his leg low at Marshall once more. He jumped, evading the kick but also giving Gray Fox a chance to grab for his knife. Once he did, he was on full offence moving faster than he knew he could. He tried thinking tactically, focusing on any possible openings. But every time he attacked, Marshall blocked or evaded, sometimes even taunting him with small cuts on the arms or legs.

"Madnar's coming with me!" Gray Fox shouted. He ran at Marshall full force, only to have his knife grabbed by the impossibly fast man and kicked hard in the ribs. Marshall slammed Fox into the nearby wall and then started walking towards Madnar.

"No, no, no please! Leave me be! I want nothing to do with you or your people!" Madnar begged, but was eventually met with a boot to the face.

"Ah! My eye! Damn it!"

"You're a doctor, deal with it." Marshall said. He jolted suddenly when he heard the clicking of a pistol behind him. He turned slowly and saw Gray Fox aiming for him. The look on his face was one of pain and rage. Marshall shook his head.

"I'm disappointed in you… a weapon like that has no honor whatsoever…" Marshall said. He shook his head and took a step towards Fox. At that instant, he fired off multiple shots, each one missing entirely, and one even almost hitting Madnar. Before Gray Fox knew it, Marshall was standing right beside him and a blade to his throat.

"A shame… I thought I saw talent in you. But now I see the truth…" Marshall slowly began to cut at his neck, not hard enough to kill him, but certainly enough to draw blood.

"You're nothing but another broken soldier…" Marshall saw the look in the man's eyes. Gray Fox no longer had the fires of war in his gaze. Instead, they were filled with a pale sense of failure. And then there was another loud gunshot, but not from Fox. The bullet grazed right by Marshall's cheek, forcing him to kick back.

"Freeze! Don't move!" Snake shouted. He kept the pistol aimed at Marshall as he slowly made his way towards Gray Fox. He wasn't moving. It barely looked like he was breathing. He was just staring forward, not even focused on Marshall or Snake himself.

"Not another step, I'm warning you!" Snake shouted. Marshall stood his ground, but with a sly smile on his face as if he knew Snake couldn't touch him. He even sheathed his curved blades and crossed his arms.

"Fox, are you alright? Fox, answer me." Snake called to him, but his words never reached him. He then looked over to Madnar, who was trembling in absolute fear.

"Who are you!? P-p-please, I just want to go home! I'm tired of this!" Madnar shouted. He stood up and started running. Marshall walked casually after him, and Snake fired one more warning shot.

"I said don't move!" Just then, the entire room was filled with a white flash from a series of detonations. Snake was blown away, as well as Gray Fox. As he slammed into the wall, he could feel his shoulder break. His vision was blurred and his ears rang loudly. Through the haze, he could see a Helicopter arrive where the hole in the far wall was. A large man jumped from the chopper. The only thing Snake could make out was the rag on his head and what looked to be a large scar on the side of his face. But he was significantly larger than the bald man with curved blades.

"**Raven**." Marshall said, acknowledging the man's presence. The larger man referred to as Raven simply nodded and grabbed Dr. Madnar with no struggle at all. Before he got back on the chopper, another voice called out from the chopper.

"Grab him as well! He could be of use to us!" It was clear that whoever was speaking now was an older man, but that was all Snake could tell. Another explosion went off, and the entire facility began to rumble. Snake looked over, and the big brute had picked up Gray Fox as if he were a sack of meat. He reached for his ally, but it was too late. They had jumped onto the chopper, and Snake could hear Madnar's screams fade into the returning storm.

"N… No…" Snake mumbled. His arm screamed with pain, and his head was ringing from the blast. He had to move. The place was already coming down. His Codec went off and he lazily answered as he struggled to get up from the floor.

_-Snake! I heard explosions! What's going on!?-_ Campbell shouted. Snake used the wall as support. The force of the blast also made his sprain his ankle.

_-The… the terrorists. They've got him. They've… got Madnar and they took Gray Fox. Colonel, I'm sorry…-_ Snake whispered. He limped his way up the stairs after falling over a few times. He tasted blood on his mouth, and could even feel the small fragments on bone moving around his shoulder area.

_-Snake, get to the upper levels. We'll think of… Boss, what are you doing?-_

_-Snake, I'm coming to get you. Just get to where I can see you.-_ Big Boss came over the radio. Snake gripped the railing hard, fighting through the pain.

_-But… Boss. You can't. It's too…-_

_-That's an order, Kid. I'll see you up top.-_ Big Boss clicked off his Codec. Snake shook his head, but moved forward nonetheless. It wasn't that far up, but with a broken shoulder and a messed up leg, it felt like forty stories of hell.

"Gray Fox…" the blurred image of Raven grabbing the limp body of Gray Fox appeared in his head. What the hell happened that caused him to completely shut down like that? Another explosion went off, and the lower levels of the stairs had caved in.

"Shit!" Snake shouted. He forced himself to endure whatever pain he was feeling and burst into a sprint. He kicked the exit door open, and saw the other soldiers running, screaming, and panicking. Most of them decided to try their luck in the harsh waters below. Most of them died because of that decision. The others simply had no idea what to do. Any form of air they had was sabotaged by the terrorists, and the skies were the only way on or off the base.

"SNAKE!" Big Bosses' voice called out to him. Snake looked ahead and saw his chopper with the label "FOX" on it. The entire facility was coming down faster than before now. So bad that it began tilting in the water. Soldiers began falling and bursting into a roll, falling to their deaths in the waters below. Snake tried to keep his balance ran towards the chopper.

"JUST A LITTLE MORE SNAKE! YOU CAN DO IT!" Big Boss shouted. He ran as fast as he could, but his ankle finally gave in. Snake fell and slowly he began to slide down the increasingly decaying base. He reached for the Boss, but knew there was nothing he could do. So he closed his eyes, and hoped that the fall would kill him rather than having to wait for his lungs to fill with water.

"Oh no you don't." Snake felt a hand grip his forearm. When he looked up, Big Boss was standing there, tall and strong, holding onto Snake with all of his might. Even though the situation seemed like absolute hell, there was a sly grin on the Bosses' face.

"Boss…" Snake whispered. He struggled to wrap his arm around Big Boss and walk with him. Another explosion went off, but the Boss supported Snake well enough so that they didn't fall. They were at the edge of the base when the entire facility went vertical. Big Boss quickly grabbed the ledge before they both fell and slowly pulled Snake up. Their chopper was flying dangerously close, but wasn't going to leave until Boss said so. He was determined to get his student out.

Boss pulled Snake to eye level and then nodded to him. Snake's eyes widened. He saw the look in Big Bosses' eye. Before he could object, The Boss used all his might to toss Snake forward. As he did, he was forced to release the ledge, and fell.

"BOSS! NO!" Snake shouted as he reached for him. The soldier's on the chopper managed to grab Snake just in time, but the Boss was already out of sight and in the water. Snake froze. And at that moment… everything went silent. He reached for The Boss. And for the first time… tears fell from Snake's eyes.

"No… No… NO, NO, NO! NO! NO! NO,NO,NO,NO!" Snake fell over. He didn't have the strength to sit up. Didn't have the strength to even stay alert and awake. Everything went black and silent…

* * *

_Four Months Later…_

David stared at the ceiling as he concentrated on the sound of his newly appointed psychiatrist, Joel Summers. This was probably the eighth time he told him about the night Big Boss died. But every single day he lived through that moment again and again. In his dreams, he was haunted by the tainted memory. The only thing that kept him away from it all was being in the field. With the terrorists in hiding for so long, FOXHOUND hadn't requested for Snake's help. Instead, they focused on trying to improve his mental health. But a person can only be saved if they wanted to be…

"David, can you tell me something?" Dr. Summers asked. David sat up and looked over to him. He was relatively young to be in his field, capping in his late twenties. But he knew his stuff. He managed to call David out on every bluff and secret he tried to smuggle into. It was hard for him to accept that his mind was completely invaded by a man he had only met a little over three months ago.

"What?"

"Tell me. What is it that you fight for? Why do you need to fight?" Joel asked. He put his clipboard down and stared at David through his glasses.

"I fight because I have to."

"FOXHOUND has other agents. Why you? Why do you think you need to be in the fight?" Joel asked, crossing his legs. David didn't like being psychoanalyzed, but Joel couldn't help himself. He had never seen someone as damaged as him before. The loss of Big Boss completely changed him.

"My place is in the unit. I don't belong anywhere else. I have to fight. For my country. For my unit. For Big Boss and Gray Fox. For… myself." David said. He sighed and placed a cigarette in his mouth, but Joel quickly snatched it, crushed it, and threw it in the nearby trash can. He then sat down beside David with his hands clasped together.

"He wasn't supposed to save me. It's a rule in FOXHOUND. If an agents is compromised, you deny all affiliation and you're on your own. Ja-… Big Boss was the best of us all. Why would he save me…?" David asked. He wasn't particularly asking Joel either. It was a question he had asked himself every single day.

"You lost a part of yourself that day that you can never get back. And now, you always play back that moment in your head... wondering if there were anything you could have done to change the outcome of that night. But the fact of the matter is you can't. He CHOSE... He chose to save you, Snake." Joel said. He stood up and walked over to the nearby window. The sun was out today, shining brightly through Summer's brown hair. He sighed, shook his head, and turned to face David once more.

"Use the life he has given you... and just live. It's what he would have wanted. It's what you deserve after everything that has happened to you. After everything you've done for us, for FOX... you deserve a rest. You deserve a life outside of war. Outside of the battlefield. You don't have to _be_ Snake anymore." Joel said. David didn't respond. After a moment of silence, Dr. Summer's office phone rang. On the other line was Colonel Campbell.

"Yes, Colonel?" He waited. Listened. Then gritted his teeth.

"Campbell, don't do this. It's too much. He's already been through-" He was interrupted. He sighed and then looked over to David. As the Colonel continued to shout into the phone, Summers walked over to his desk and pulled out a small bottle of pills.

"Fine… I'll tell him." Joel said. He dropped the phone and tightened his grip on the pills.

"What's up, doc?" David asked, standing up and putting his coat on to leave. Joel's eyes were to the ground. He slowly looked up to Snake and shook his head.

"It was Campbell. He's told me that the terrorists have resurfaced. He said _The Prisoners of War are calling for blood. Redemption._ They've taken hostages. And they've made demands…" Joel froze. David pushed forward and grabbed the doctor by the shoulders. Desperation was clear in his eyes.

"Or what!? What did they say!?" David asked. Joel hesitated before looking out to the orange sky once more.

"We've kept you in the dark but… well... if we don't comply to their demands, they said they'll launch nukes onto all four corners of the U.S." Snake turned and almost ran out of the office before Joel managed to grab him by the sleeve. They both froze as silence overwhelmed the room.

"David… please. Don't do this to yourself."

"Joel, I'm not going to sit around while the people who killed Big Boss are out there!"

"Stop making this about him! This is about your mental health, David! I'm trying to look out for you!"

"I'm going after them. I'm going to stop them no matter what your health records suggest…" David said. He pulled away.

"You're on the road to recover, David. If you go back into that darkness… there's no telling what will follow you if you come out..." Joel said. He handed David the pills. He knew whatever he said would go in one ear and out the other, so the best he could do was try to support him as much as possible. Try to save as much of the man that was in David as he could before he went back into the field.

"What are these for?" David asked.

"In case you lose sight of who you are, and what's real around you. In case you have another episode…" Joel flinched at the memory. David placed the pills in his pockets and nodded.

"I'll be fine. I've been trained for these kinds of situations." David said. He rushed out of the room, leaving Joel there. He sat down and looked at his notes on David. Signs of dementia. Insanity. Post-traumatic stress. He was in no condition to be an active soldier, especially for the kinds of things that FOXHOUND agents went through.

"No… you haven't, David…" Joel whispered. He checked the box beside David's name that was labeled _Fit for Duty_.

* * *

_Chapter 3_

_ Fit for Duty_

* * *

_**Author's Note: I really wanted to introduce another one of my original characters in this chapter, but the conversations with Joel and David ended up to be longer than I originally expected! =^_^= However, this leaves much more epicness to be seen in the next chapter where i promise she will be announced. Anywho, this is a really sad chapter. I hope Snake is alright. Dementia, Insanity, and PTSD are never good. Please leave a review and i'll see you guys soon!  
**P.S. To Allana. Next Chapter. I Promise._


	4. Count to Four

"_War. War never gives, it only takes. And war has taken everything from us. It has taken our families. It has taken our beliefs and ideologies. It has taken our lives. We are not the terrorists, we're all just… prisoners."_ Snake took in another good breath of his cigarette as he watched Marshall, the bald man he had encountered for months ago, address the camera. Around him looked to be a hangar bay, fully stocked with jets and tanks. Weapons and crates of equipment. Marshall began walking, and the camera followed him. It panned passed what seemed to be a person in an Exoskeletal suit, and then grazed by Dr. Madnar, who was suffering from a wound on his head as well as his arm, which was wrapped in bandages.

"_We want the girl. Ellen Madnar. If she isn't brought to us within twenty four hours, we will kill Dr. Madnar, and we will… retaliate for your insubordinate attitude. You have twenty three hours, and fifty nine minutes left. I await your arrival, brother."_ Snake grunted as he closed the video and slid it across the table to Colonel Campbell, who was still typing on his computer and monitoring the communications with all other branches of military that were involved in the operation. He even spoke with the President about complying with the terrorists demands. Snake could see the wrinkles on his face, from the constant stress.

Across the round table was the rag tag team of FOXHOUND operatives that would be assigned to this mission. These were the people who were in charge with fixing all of this… and it was the same team that lost Madnar four months ago.

"It's good to officially meet you, Snake." Liza Payne said as she lit her own cigarette.

"Liza? Did you finally get rid of your fear of flying?" Snake asked. She slid a folder across the table and shook her head.

"No. No I have not." She said. Sitting beside her was Dr. Clark. He fixed his glasses and places his hand on her shoulder.

"Oh come on. We're on one of the most advanced aircrafts in the entire world. It's not going to fall. Lighten up, you should be excited." Gordon Clark said. He opened the files in front of him.

"I've kept in contact with Mr. Summers. He's transferred the data from his study of you over to me, and filled me in on everything I need to know. Just like our last mission, I'll be in charge of monitoring your health, which is vital now more than ever given recent… uh… incidents." Gordon said. Snake grunted, ignoring the memories as they appeared and instead concentrating on his next support member, Mei Ling. She looked up to him from behind her glasses and smiled as she handed him a small stack of blueprints and photographs.

"What's this?" Snake asked. Mei Ling went over to him and pointed at the large facility in the blueprints. It was clear that there was much more to the building than what was in these plans, but something was better than nothing.

"This is what we were able to gather about where the terrorists are holding up. We think that this abandoned facility may actually be a front for an entire underground set up. But there's no way to know for sure until you touch down." Mei Ling said. Snake nodded as he put his cigarette out. He looked around the table and couldn't help but wonder if this was right. Would they be able to get through this? The stakes were pretty clear, and the demands were outrageous. The mission was to get Madnar out of there, and now they were actually going to hand over his daughter?

"Snake, we're not just going to let them have Madnar, or his daughter." Colonel said. He stood up from his seat and began slowly walking around the table.

"We've got a team of highly trained Marines ready to make the drop off. As they make the drop, a SEAL team will be making their way into the facility via naval boat. They're the best the Navy has got, I've been assured that. They've been tasked with finding and eliminated the terrorist threat as quickly and quietly as possible." Campbell explained.

"Then what's my role in all of this?" Snake asked. Campbell looked over to him and nodded his head.

"You're mission is simple. Once the drop off is made, you're to infiltrate the facility, find Madnar and his daughter, and extract them. However, you can only do this once the SEAL team takes out the terrorists. We can't have your being there known to them, or the fact that we're extracting Madnar and his daughter. If you're caught… there's nothing we can do for you, Snake." Campbell said. Snake nodded, getting up and gathering the files from each of his associates before making his way out to his makeshift room in the cargo bay, where he could smoke in peace without worrying about people bothering him other than the few engineers that came by.

_War has taken everything from us…_ Marshall's voice echoed in Snake's head. He wasn't wrong, war did nothing but take. It took lives. It took homes. It took reason from a man's eyes and turned him into a machine. A monster. War had taken The Boss from Snake, but that wasn't all. It had taken his humanity… And he felt it every time he held onto the steel of his gun.

"Snake?" Standing right beside him was Mei Ling. Snake turned to greet her.

"Hey, what's going on?" Snake got off of the cargo container her was sitting on, and that's when he noticed the young girl standing in the doorway. She had long black hair with big innocent blue eyes. It was Madnar's daughter, Ellen. It was the first time Snake had ever seen her in person.

"Snake, Ellen wants to talk to you. She says it's important." Mei Ling said. Snake nodded, and Mei Ling turned around, gesturing for Ellen to come out of the doorway and into the room. Mei Ling crouched down to be at eye level with her, and places her hands on Ellen's shoulders, giving her a welcoming smile.

"I'll be right outside if you need me." Mei said. Ellen nodded before walking up to Snake. He looked down to her. It was strange being around a child, so innocent among the tainted pasts of everyone aboard the airship.

"Uh… Mr. Snake?" Her voice was timid. She was afraid to confront him, and he didn't blame her. He could only imagine the stories she was told about FOXHOUND and the people in it.

"Yeah?" Ellen was rubbing her hands together, nervous. To her, the man towering above her seemed just as bad as the men who took her father and tried to take her as well. He looked just as wounded, just as hurt, and just as angry. The only thing she could go on was faith. Faith could move mountains in her eyes. But she needed Snake to move the whole world to get her and her father out safely. She reached around her neck and pulled out a locket. She grabbed Snake's hand and wrapped the locket around it.

"P-please… Please save my dad. He's… he's not a bad man. He just… had some bad luck…" Ellen said. She diverted her gaze to the floor, and before Snake could respond, she was already making her way back out to Mei Ling.

"Huh… don't worry kid. I failed once, I'm not going to fail again." Snake said to himself. He thought about shutting his eyes and resting before heading off, but he knew if he did that then he would just be plagued by the nightmares. So he lit another cigarette instead, and waited for roll call.

* * *

Lexington had been a Marine for 23 years, and he had never seen anything like this. What was supposed to be a run down and abandoned factory had been completely refurbished into an impressive base used by the terrorists. He had a squad of eleven other men, each very close to him. They became a family after so many years of war together.

"Just stay calm and everything will go as planned. We're professionals, darlin'. If you get nervous, just remember one thing." Lexington said. Ellen looked over to him.

"W-what's that…?" Ellen asked. Lexington smiled and brought his hands to his chest.

"Inhale, count to four. Exhale, count to four. Simple as that." Lexington said. Ellen nodded and took note of what he said. The aircraft they were in was only meant for transporting troops, which was why it could fit up to fifteen people at a time, including the pilot and co-pilot. Their orders were to go in and make the drop off, while leaving a tracer on Ellen so that when FOXHOUND sent in their guy, he'd be able to find her, and hopefully her father as well. Get in. Get out. No problem.

"_Proceeding onto Hangar Bay now. Be ready for anything boys."_ The pilot said over the intercom. Lexington and the rest of his unit brought their masks over their faces to protect their identities. Lexington placed a reassuring hand on Ellen's shoulder before making his way to the side door.

"Alright boys, let's move!" he ordered. The doors opened and they were greeted with the cold chill of the blizzard that sheeted the entire area. Lexington brought his rifle up and led the unit as they closed in on the compound. So far, there was no one there to greet them…

"Stick close to me." Lexington said. He brought his rifle up at the ready and moved forward. His unit followed closely in order to cover more ground and keep Ellen, who was at the center of their circle, protected in case of an attack. The storm seemed to grow lighter as they came closer to the compound though. And as the blizzard ceased to exist, the terrorists came into view.

Standing front and center was Marshall, with a large cowl around his and face just above his nose. He had his goggles on, and held his duel curved blades in his hands. Beside his was a brute of a man with a military doo rag over his head and a large scar going down his cheek. There was a notable tattoo of an impaled raven on his arm with metal lines protruding from it and going up his neck. Crouching on the other side of Marshall was a skinnier man, but still fit in his own right. He had a cynical smile on his face, and a Mohawk hairstyle with one braid at the back.

"On your toes, boys. Don't let them get the drop on us." Lexington said. They pushed forward, and as they did the terrorists stood still. They stopped, and waited for whoever was in charge to move forward. There was a long moment of silence, and it was clear that the terrorists weren't planning on making the first move.

"Which one of you is Marshall?" Lexington called out. The bald man stepped forward, twirling his blades skillfully. This couldn't be it, could it? The world thrown into a panic because of three men? No. Lexington was a vet on the battlefield, so he knew that there were probably a few snipers watching their position, as well as an ambush somewhere within this snow covered wasteland.

"Which one of you is Ellen Madnar?" Marshall asked, toying with the soldiers. The man with the Mohawk giggled to himself as he jumped onto the railing beside him. Lexington crouched down to speak with Ellen, who was hiding behind him.

"Everything will be alright. I promise." He said. He looked up to his comrade Carter and nodded. Carter held Ellen's hand while also firmly gripping his sidearm. Slowly they made their way across the large bridge where Marshall and the others waited patiently. Halfway across the bridge, Marshall brought his hand to the sky. Carter and Ellen stopped.

"What the hell…?" Lexington prepared his rifle. They were toying with them, making them uneasy and it was working. After all of these years in service he had never flat out given the bad guys a hostage. It didn't feel right. It wasn't right.

"Ellen. It's nice to finally meet you. Now… let's see what inside that pretty head of yours." Marshall said. The terrorist on the railing started laughing wildly, and the brute simply stood there and watched. After a long moment of hesitation, Marshall looked around confused.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Carter shouted, raising his pistol. Marshall smiled underneath his mask as snow began to fall lightly once again. Her saw the red laser appear on the soldier's head and a moment later it jolted as a smooth bullet went flying through his skull.

"Kill them all…" Marshall said. Lexington ran as fast as he could and tackled Ellen to get her down on the ground. His unit knew what to do. Empty their clips on the terrorists before they could escape. They fired, and bullets brushed over Lexington… but weren't hitting anything. He looked up and the bullets were all simply stuck in place in the middle of the air in front of the terrorists. After about two clips in, the unit realized that their bullets were going absolutely nowhere… and then the terrorists retaliated.

Suddenly, the massive blizzard had returned but was surrounding only the Marines. The all went back to back to cover more ground, but they couldn't see anything. Suddenly, in between all of them, a faded figure floated. Everything around them went silent except for a distinguishing breathing coming from what sounded like a gas mask.

"_Can you feel it?"_ A decrepit voice came from within the white haze. The blizzard came to a halt and Lexington saw that his unit was standing completely still now, all facing the sky with their arms stretched out. Behind them, he could see the shadow of a man with two big glowing orange eyes. Some parts were darker than others, but all of it seemed to be a blur. There also was a low hymn coming from nowhere, but ever so present in Lexington's thoughts.

"_Can you feel their pain?"_ the voice asked. All of the soldiers began to move in unison as if controlled by a puppeteer. They walked like zombies, slow but with quick and jagged movements. The bullets that were once held in place were now all slowly moving towards the herd of puppet men walking towards Lexington.

"_I can feel it. All their pain. All their memories. All their sorrow…"_ ten bullets separated themselves from the others and slowly made their way through the skulls of the soldiers.

"NO!" Lexington fired his rifle at the shadow figure behind his unit, but they curved and missed completely. The puppets fell limp to the ground, no longer of any use to their master of strings. Lexington had been a Marine for 23 years… and he had never seen anything like this. Immediately he went to tighten his grip on Ellen, but an invisible force knocked him into the air. Suddenly, the remaining bullets that were stuck in the air began to surround him, spinning wildly out of control.

"LET HER GO!" Lexington reached for Ellen, but a bullet went through his hand. He retreated and watched as the figure began to solidify and reveal itself. It was clear that there was a man behind the gas mask, staring at Lexington from behind the large orange eye lenses. There were stitches on the man's bald head, and scars in all manner of places. Two barcodes could be seen on the almost skeletal terrorist; one on the side of his head, and one on his arm. He twisted his head in an almost impossible angle, and then brought his hands up slowly over his head. Lexington could do nothing but watch as the bullets slowly made their way closer and closer to him. Inhale. Count to four. Exhale. Count to four.

"_Blackout…"_ Before the bullets began speeding through Lexington's body until there was nothing but pieces of flesh and bone left over… the terrorist decided to give him one final act of mercy before ending his life. Everything went black, and he wouldn't feel a think. The last image that would go through the soldier's head as he died was of him, his daughter, and his wife together for the last time.

"_Come, come… there's much to do… and little time to do it."_ The man said. He reached his hand out to Ellen, and she grabbed it hesitantly. The giant bay doors opened. Before they closed behind them, Ellen took one last look back at the mayhem that she just witnessed… and could only hope that she and her father would not suffer the same fate.

_Inhale. Count to four. Exhale. Count to four…_

* * *

_Chapter Four:_

_ Count to four_

* * *

**_Author's Note: So sorry it took so long to upload this chapter. I had college finals to finish, a shit ton of work, and on top of that i'm also working on another story so i've been going back and forth. Hopefully i can make more updates soon. How have you guys been? I hope the summer is treating you well. Mantis is creepy *~*_**


	5. The Guest List

The snow continued to fall as Snake looked through his binoculars. There was next to no intel at all about this base that the terrorists had managed to cook up for themselves, so he would have to go at this the old fashion way. He watched and memorized the guard patterns, took note of their walking speed and their natural head and eye movements, and also made note of which guards seemed to tolerate each other more. They would occasionally stop their patrol to make a joke, or talk about their night at the bar a few months ago. Some even wondered why they had to stay out in the cold while everyone else was inside.

Snake was motionless on the hilltop, being careful not to make any sudden movements to alert the two guards that were scanning the area with their searchlights. Getting in wasn't going to be easy, and he didn't even want to think about getting out. A small ring echoed in Snake's ear.

_~Snake… something's happened."_ Campbell said over the comm. Snake remained still, but listened.

_~The exchange went bad. The terrorists took out the Marine's sent with Ellen. Damn it…~_ There was a long moment of hesitation. Right from the get go he knew that something would go wrong, It was just a matter of time. Still… he knew Lexington. He was a good soldier, and a good man. It was a shame, but death was part of war. Snake brushed it off as best as he could.

"Colonel, I need to find a way inside. It's heavily guarded, but I think I can get by just enough. There's a small storage area on the left. I can make my way there, maybe scavenge some equipment while I'm there." Snake said.

_~Yes. Good idea.~_ Campbell said. Afterwards, Liza Payne came on the line. Snake began to slowly crawl, trying his hardest to keep the sheet of snow still on his back in case the search light happened the graze close to him.

_~Snake, we've issued you a Mk23. SOCOM with a suppressor, as well as an HK MP5, also fitted with a suppresser. Now, don't go in guns blazing, your ammo is extremely limited unless you find some on site. Only kill if you have to, and only use your weapons if absolutely necessary. You've still got you combat knife, correct?~_ Snake brought his hand to the knife at his chest. It was the same black one that Gray Fox had given him on their mission together.

"Yeah. I got it. CQC is the preferred way to go unless things get messy." Snake acknowledged. The breathed deeply, keeping warm in the freezing winter chill that surrounded the base. The cold reminded him of his time with Big Boss long ago, when he was still in training with the legendary soldier himself…

* * *

**[The Arctic. Big Boss.]**

**[David's 5****th**** Training Session]**

They brought enough food and water for ten days of survival, and today marked the third month that Big Boss and his student, David, had been in the Arctic. There was already enough on David's file as a soldier in the military to now that he was exactly what The Boss was looking for, but he had to be sure. Training with every weapon, in every environment, and in any situation. He had to be sure that David could adapt, and make the battlefield his own. Make the world his own.

The Arctic had its fair share of forestation in certain areas, so he was glad to know that that was where David decided to hold up. He rationed whatever he could from the land, and took shelter in caves and ditches. Occasionally he would make a fire, and try cooking what little food he could.

"Time for another lesson." Big Boss said. He scurried down the mountainside with his combat knife in hand and raced towards his student. He noticed him coming a bit too late, and could only block the incoming blow with a tree branch he grabbed from the fire pit. The blade cut through the bark like there was nothing there, but David used this as an advantage. He remembered the one word Big Boss kept spewing out at the start of this session. Adapt. Adapt. Adapt.

He tightened his grip on the broken branch pieces and began rushing forward, swinging quickly. After a good while of fighting back and forth, David chucked the broken branch to the side and tackled Big Boss into the snow. He brought his fist down hard, but The Boss dodged and took control of the ground game. He managed to slip from David's grip and pull his arm back.

"Sorry, kid." Boss said. He raised his arm and brought it-

"NO, WAIT!" David shouted. Big Boss hesitated for a split second, which was more than enough time for David to kick off the ground, toss a handful of dirt and snow into his enemies face, and land a solid punch right at his jaw. The Boss staggered slightly, looked over at the exhausted student in front of him, and then proceeded to laugh louder than ever before. They two took a few minutes to patch each other up before taking a seat by the fire. David looked up, and Big Boss was lighting a Cuban cigar.

"Mind if I get one?" David asked, reaching his hands over the fire to keep himself warm. The Boss grunted before taking the cigar out of his mouth, looking at the labeling, and placing it back in his mouth.

"Yes, I do. Don't be a copy of me, find your own stress relief." The Boss said. He leaned back on the log he grabbed for himself and looked up at the sky.

"Have you noticed it yet?" He asked. David looked over to him, confused.

"Noticed what?"

"The sky."

"What?"

"I said the sky."

"I know what you said, but what are you talking about?" David asked. Big Boss chuckled before taking in another deep puff from his cigar.

"In that case, I won't tell you. I'll let you figure it out for yourself. Get some sleep…" The Boss said, rolling over to the side to face the wood. David stood up and proceeded to put the fire out. Once he was sure it was out fully, he went against his log and looked up at the sky, trying to spot whatever it was that his mentor was talking about. But… there was nothing special about the sky. Nothing different. Just stars.

* * *

Standing in the central server room were two men. One was a younger man with blond hair and a blank look on his face. He was leaning over, typing in a series of codes and analyzing thousands of bits of data per second. The other was a much older man, his hair gray with age. He kept one hand in the pocket of his long, brown leather jacket while the other was placed comfortably atop his revolver.

"Ezra, just what are you doing?" the older man asked. He didn't respond, he only kept darting from data file to data file. It was only after a few more seconds did he actually turn around and acknowledge his companion's presence.

"The guest list seems to be in order. My, my do we have some smart cookies here. Look, look. Professor Frank Jordan, head of the IT department. Dr. Charles Pocket, Nuclear Disposal Engineer. Hal Emmerich, Engineering and Computer Sciences Major. I guess these aren't just any old hostages huh? No, no, no." Ezra said. He looked back at the older man who just crossed his arms.

"You're digging into matters you need not worry about. In order for Madnar to work efficiently, he needs a team. We've brought only the best. Now, we nee-"

"Quite the team you've got here too. Killian. Marshall. Raven. And the others of course. Everyone's got their own little stories. Their own little tragedies." Ezra's eyes shifted back and forth as the profiles of everyone affiliated with them appeared. All the files were accessible to him except for a very select few. One of them being the man right in front of him.

"Ezra-"

"What about you…? What's your tragedy…?" Before the young man could say anything else, the older man pulled out his revolver faster than his eyes could follow and slammed it hard against the kid's head. He barely responded to the force, but he did stop talking.

"Shut up! We need you to tap into the camera's on site and monitor the vitals of our men. You have my frequency, as well as Marshall's. If anything goes wrong or seems fishy, you let us know immediately. You got that?" The man said. Ezra didn't respond. He stood up and walked over to the other computer. The older man smiled as he watched the boy reach behind him down his back and pulled out multiple cords, plugging them into the server.

"Very good. I'll check in again within the hour. Keep your eyes open." The man said. Ezra smirked at the old man.

"My eyes are always open…"

* * *

Snake tightened his grip on the soldier just enough to knock him out for a good amount of time. He had hoped that by the time he woke up, he'd be long gone with Madnar, his daughter, and the rest of the hostages, leaving behind the corpses of the terrorists. He tightened his grip on his combat knife, and as he did he remembered Gray Fox. The man rumored to be a perfect soldier. Yet he was overpowered and was MIA for so long…

_No… I can't doubt myself now. I've got to push forward. The Seal Team should be here soon. I'll make my move then._ Snake thought to himself. He pulled the soldier into a nearby locker and slammed it shut. Equipping his combat knife and MK.23, he pushed forward, being careful not to alert the guards on patrol. He moved from cover to cover, only moving forward when the guards were distracted or looking the other way. Above Snake could see the guards that were moving the spotlights. Behind them was a door. That would have to be his way inside.

_~Snake…~_ Dr. Clark's voice echoed into the Codec. Snake moved forward and started to make his way up the stairs to his left, making sure to watch for any wandering eyes.

"Yeah? What's up?" Snake asked. He crouched down and peered passed the corner. These guards were too distracted with talking to each other and looking through the spotlights to even concentrated on what was going on behind them.

_~We've just received some intel from out person inside. They sent us a file labeled "The Guest List." Snake, these hostages of theirs… Well, putting them all together, it's exactly the kind of team you'd need to create a nuclear weapon.~_ Gordon said. Snake halted in his tracks. It was impossible that this was a coincidence. These _Prisoners of War_ had to have chosen these people for exactly that. To build a nuclear weapon.

"Liza, if they already did have Nukes at the ready, just how long would it take to disarm them?" Snake asked. There was a long pause as Liza thought about it, calculating the near infinite possibilities. Snake had never been trained in dismantling nuclear devices, and he could only assume that it was much different than disarming a pack of C4.

_~Depending on how much they may already have, as well as the complexity of the device… honestly, I couldn't tell you. It could take years to fully deconstruct and transport the device and all materials and waste produced by it. However, temporary disarmament and nullifications could take… a few weeks maybe. Again, that's depending on their progress.~_

Snake tightened his grip on his knife and took a deep breath. This had to be whatever Madnar was talking about. Project Genesis. He knew now that the terrorists would probably launch a nuke even if the American government gave into whatever demands they were offering. Snake slipped by the first guard and made his way to the door, but when he tried to open it, nothing happened. The red light by the lock was red.

"Damn… it's locked…" Snake looked back over to the two guards. Luckily, they were still too distracted to look behind them, but he did manage to pick up a small tidbit of their conversation.

"That old guy's kinda scary, huh?"

"Which one?" the other asked, looking over to his partner.

"Cowboy boots."

"Ah, yeah. I hear him and the boss have some history together. I'd stay on his good side if I were you. I'd hate to see him take you to the _meditation center_, like that girl."

"What? He took the girl there? Harsh. Guess she spoke out of term or something." He said. Suddenly, Snake's Codec activated on its own, and a call was placed through.

_~So… you're Snake. Interesting, very interesting. There's nothing here about you. Hmph. He'll be pleased. Very pleased. He'll be waiting for you in meditation. Please come through.~_ The voice said through his comm. Snake tried to check the frequency, but it was constantly changing. The voice was unfamiliar, and someone was hacking into the Codec, making him unable to track or make any other calls. When Snake looked up, he noticed the camera moving left to right.

_Damn it, I'm spotted!_ He panicked for a moment, but something was weird. If he was seen, then there would be alarms. The terrorists weren't stupid, if someone had infiltrated their facility, they wouldn't hesitate to send a response team. At the moment, he didn't have a choice to question what was going on. He had a way inside, and if he was compromised then he had to move fast. He pulled the handle and the door slowly opened.

"Colonel, I've made it inside the base." Snake said as he crouched behind the nearby boxes.

_~Good job, Snake. Mei Ling will take care of the rest.~_ Campbell said. Mei Ling came on the line and then something on Snake's belt began to blink a blue light.

_~Alright, Snake. Now, that device blinking on your equipment belt is an environmental scanner modified to give your GPS a digital outline of the area you're in. Find somewhere away from enemy eyes and place the scanner firmly against the floor. It will activate, and send a pulse throughout the floor, giving your GPS a layout of the area you're in_~Mei Ling said. Snake grabbed the scanner, it was no larger than a quarter.

"Alright, scanning the room now." Snake said. He placed the scanner on the ground and it made a slight ping sound and vibrated slightly. As it did, a holographic map appeared on Snake's Heads-Up Display (HUD) for his GPS. Along with the layout of the area he was in, there were also small blips on the radar that indicated the soldiers on guard.

"Impressive… where did you come up with an idea like this?" Snake asked as he placed the scanner back on his equipment belt.

_~It's been a work in progress for a while now. You're field testing it for me. Those blips on the radar are tracing the nanomachines in the guard's bodies. It even tracks you as well. You're the green blip, and the guards are white by default, but you can go into the settings and change the color if you'd like.~_ There was a proud tone in Mei Ling's voice. Snake looked through the setting and sure enough there was a vast array of different colors he could change the blips to. He left them at their default setting.

"Nice to know you left me with some options…" Snake said, trying his hardest to be kind. He made sure to pay attention to the radar as he made his way through the room. He had to admit that knowing exactly where the enemy was and where they were looking made sneaking around much easier than in previous missions.

_What are you doing here…?_ a voice echoed in his head. But it wasn't just any voice. It was The Boss. Snake stumbled as the voice came to him, and one of the guards must've heard it because he was moving from his usual patrol towards him.

_Go home, David… and never come back…_ Snake rushed into the closest room he could find, which turned out to be a pantry, but the radar showed that the guard was still making his way towards him. He had to act fast, but there was no locker to hide in, nor was there any cover to get behind. There was flour, fruits and vegetables, canned foods, and…

"I-is anyone in here?" the guard called out as he peeked his head through the door. He walked in with his gun still at his side. Obviously he wasn't expecting any threat to be in the area if he could be so relaxed even after hearing a noise. He walked around, barely even inspecting the area and instead walking straight for the batch of apples on one of the racks.

"Mmmm, tasty. I wish we had some peanut butter or something. I mean, good food is just as important as a good gun, right?" he said to himself. Before leaving the room he took once last glance over. Food. Check. Flour. Check. Boxes. Check. He took another bite of the apple and left the room as it was.

_Hm…. Not bad…_ Snake thought to himself as he watched from inside the cardboard box. He popped out of the box and patted himself off. He wasn't exactly sure why they kept empty boxes in the pantry, but frankly he wasn't going to question it. He sat against the wall and brought his hands to his head. He couldn't let his feelings about The Boss get in the way of the mission. What happened is over and done with, and he had to get over it… at least for these next few hours.

_Damn it_ Snake reached into his equipment pack and pulled out the pills that Dr. Summers had given him. Take them whenever he was feeling lost was what he said. He grimaced as he popped open the top and placed the pill in his mouth. As he swallowed, it felt as though a heavy burden left his body.

_He'll be waiting for you in meditation…_ Snake remembered what the voice had said to him. Would it be stupid to pay attention to what he said? and just who would be waiting for him in this "meditation center?"

"Colonel, I'm going to follow a lead. Let me know when the Seal Team touches down so I can meet up with them." Snake said.

_~A lead? What do you mean?~_ Campbell asked.

"Apparently someone's expecting me." Snake pulled out his Mk. 23 and left the pantry.

* * *

Chapter 5:

The Guest List

* * *

_**Author's Note: Once again i'm sorry this took so long. With writing this story, i have to be really careful because everything has to come together perfectly, so i really have to take my time to make sure the continuity that i'm creating fits together in their layers. But things are DEFINITELY about to pick up. Just who is this person waiting for Snake in the meditation center? Find out soon in the next chapter of Metal Gear Genesis. :D :D :D **_**  
**


	6. An Old Man With A Heart Of Gold

Colonel Roy Campbell sighed as he looked at the dog tags that he carried with him at all times. They were engraved with his name of course, his date of birth, his SSN, and his religion, which he had labeled as _No Preference_. But there was something about these tags that made them unique. As he looked at the tags that would forever label him as a man of the United States Military, he thought back to his days as a young man, as a soldier who took orders from men without faces or pasts rather than _being_ that man with no past. That man with no face…

This was some time ago around the 1970's. Looking back on it now, he had no idea that there were people out there like Big Boss. Campbell was one of the few people who actually knew Big Boss by his true name, John, sometimes known as Jack. But it wasn't easy to earn that amount of respect and trust. There was a very specific set of circumstances that brought on the brotherly relationship that the two of them had.

South America. La Peninsula De Los Muertos. The Peninsula of the Dead. Back then, Roy was part of a Black Ops unit working to identify and nullify possible Nuclear threats. The mission went awry, and Roy was captured and separated from his unit. But in the cell next to him was a strange man. A man that whoever had taken him captive seemed to be very interested in him. That was the first time he had ever met the legendary soldier, Big Boss.

Back then, he couldn't believe the stories that were told about Big Boss. In fact, he found it hard to believe that he even existed. But it was clear that the man in front of him was the real deal. Roy's leg was broken, and he was weak from hunger, but Big Boss asked for his help in fighting the terrorists anyway. Against all odds, the two of them made it out. The Peninsula of the Dead taught Campbell many things. One: Never give up when all odds seem against you. Two: A soldier has nothing to live for if not for the feel of battle. And Three: A true soldier shows loyalty. Not to any nation or ideology… but to himself.

* * *

"_Boss… I need to apologize."_

"_For what?"_

"…_For always doubting you. Amidst all the stories and all the legends, I never thought it could be true for a man to be so… skilled on the battlefield! And… and I've dishonored myself in thinking so terribly of you!"_

"_Roy… you've got nothing to be sorry about."_

"_No… I do. Not only are you the most skilled man I have ever met… but your heart is full of compassion for all human beings. The men you fight, the soldiers who are lost and need guidance. No matter what, you never turn your back on them. These men will follow you through hell and back. Boss…you truly are a great man…"_

"_I couldn't have done any of this without you. We're all soldiers, Roy. We're all fighting for the same cause, even if we are on the other side of the borders. A man is a man. A soldier is a soldier. We're all one under the same sky. And Roy…?"_

"_Yes, Boss…?"_

"_Call me John."_

* * *

Campbell smiled at the memory of the Boss. He learned from all the times he had lost a brother on the battlefield that it was best not to think of how they died, but instead to think of how they lived and brought good things to life. The world would never be the same without Big Boss, and it was his duty to make sure his death was not in vein.

"Colonel, is everything alright?" Dr. Clark asked as he walked over to him. Campbell snapped out of his thoughts, let his tags fall back down and hang from his neck, and looked over to his associate.

"Yes, everything's fine. Have you been keeping a close eye on Snake's mental health?" Campbell asked. Gordon nodded and then brought up his small laptop that showed the constant progress of Snake's psych. There were only a few moments where it fluctuated in an unnatural way.

"He's stable for now. I'll keep monitoring it. Hey… you need to keep your head level too. We all do. If you need to talk… well… you know where to find me." Gordon said. Roy nodded and gave him a curt smile before returning to his screen that had a map of the area and notes about the environment that Snake was currently in.

"Roy. Roy, we're getting some strange interference coming from Snake's Codec." Liza said from across the room. Roy clicked on the Codec and accessed Snake's frequency.

"Snake, where are you?"

_~I've…o some sor….. nt level? Ther…..ange interference. There mu…jammer or som…. tact you when_…~Liza was right. The Comm was being jammed by something within the base. That was bad. There was no way to know where Snake was because his position was blurred and going in and out. And the call was either dropping or too overflowed with static to understand. Roy bit his lips and crossed his fingers, hoping for the best…

* * *

The Codec was being jammed. Snake looked down at the guard he had just knocked out and shook his head. Just what were these guys trying so hard to protect down here? Not only that, but these soldiers seemed to have a completely different skill set than the ones outside. Different training maneuvers, better at close quarters combat, and as strange as it sounded, their sense of hearing and sight seemed far above the level of the others. These men were specially trained, but by who?

Snake snuck his way through the level he was on. He had already scanned the floor when he made it there, and so he could see that this meditation center was just around the corner in the larger room. Snake spotted the camera's, and they seemed to spot him as well. But whoever was behind the lens didn't seem to care. In fact, it seemed like they were interested in where ever Snake went and where he was going rather than setting off an alarm and alerting the entire base that he was there.

As cheesy as it sounded, Snake knew that it was quiet. Too quiet. Snake could spot the double doors to what looked to be the meditation center that the voice over the Codec was talking about. But there was more. Referring back to the conversation he had overheard from the guards outside. There was a girl in here… being tortured since he had arrived. Possibly before. Who was she? Was she an intruder? Or maybe a soldier who got out of line? When he looked inside… the scene was gruesome. In the center of the room, he saw a woman with long red hair chained up with her arms spread.

"What… the hell…?" snake moved slowly, being careful not to alert her or anyone else who might've been here. On all four corners of the room were cameras, and they all seemed to be following Snake where ever he went. Something was wrong.

"Hey…" Snake called out to the woman in chains. There was no response, but he could tell that she was still breathing. He moved forward some more, he had to do someth-

"STOP!" The woman in the center screamed suddenly. Snake froze where he was and took a step back. It was only then where he noticed the extremely thin line of wire that was placed in front of him. It wasn't just one though; there were lines all over, connecting in intricate and unique ways. He followed them, trying to trace them back to the source. On the far wall, there was a large panel strapped with what looked to be C4 explosives, as well as the jammer that was interfering with the Codec and radar. And leaning against the wall close to the jammer was an older man in a long brown trench coat.

"I see you've spotted my little trap. Touch that wire, and the whole place will go sky high." the man's voice was gruff, aged with infinite experience on the battlefield. Snake could tell from his stride that he was a confident man, so sure of his skills and his knowledge. As he stepped into the light, Snake could see his hair white with age, and his blue eyes fixated on him.

"I've been waiting for you, Solid Snake." Snake brought his SOCOM up, making sure to step away from the girl to avoid getting her caught in the firefight.

"And just who are you?" he asked. The man smiled as he swirled his revolver around skillfully. Tossing two of them in the air and juggling them, switching hands, and sheathing them all in one fluid motion.

"Hmph… There's only one man who knows my true name. But. You can call me by the name labeled to me by others**. Revolver… Ocelot**." He pulled out his revolver once against and brought the tip to his chin as he supported a grin.

"Son of a bitch…" the woman whispered. Ocelot grimaced, slamming his foot on the ground.

"Rrrrr… QUIET YOU! BEFORE I TEAR YOUR HEART OUT!" Ocelot shouted. The girl started laughing, but kept her mouth shut nonetheless. Not because she was afraid, but because she knew that things were about to get ugly. And as much as she hated to admit it, the only way she was getting out of this mess was with Snake's help.

"What do you want from me?" Snake asked Ocelot as he kept his SOCOM still focused on the terrorist. Ocelot raised his brow before slowly walking towards Snake. When he stepped forward, Snake stepped back, making sure to keep a good distance from the man. He had no way of knowing what this guy was capable of, but he didn't want to give him a chance to get close enough to attack. If he made any sudden movements, he would pull the trigger without hesitation.

"What do I want from you? Well, it's nothing much really. In fact, It's simple. I'm here… to kill you." Ocelot kicked back, forcing Snake to pull the trigger. At the same time, Ocelot shot a round of his revolver at the wall. When the dust cleared, Ocelot was on the other side of the room with a sly smile on his face.

"Hahahaha"

"What!? Impossible!" Snake couldn't believe what he was looking at. On the ground in front of his was his bullet, with another bullet lodged into its side. It was a bullet from Ocelot's revolver. He ricocheted the bullet off the wall and deflected his bullet. Knocked it out right in front of him.

"The Colt Single Action Army. It's the greatest handgun ever made." Ocelot said. Snake's hand began to tremble. He had never seen anything like this. His reflexes. His accuracy. It was impossible to be able to see something like that. To purposefully ricochet a bullet at that proximity. That accuracy…

"What the hell are you!?" Snake shouted. He fired again. And again. And again. And each time Ocelot ricocheted his bullets and chucked his away as if they were moving at a snail's pace.

"A demon, Snake. We are all just demons. Hmph… I'll be generous and only use one of my pistols. Six bullets. More than enough to kill anything that moves…"

"An old man with a heart of gold." Snake said. Ocelot laughed as he reloaded his revolver almost as fast as Snake reloaded his SOCOM.

"Now… enough talk. Let us see if the man can match the legend!" Ocelot shouted.

* * *

Ellen Madnar buried her face in the thin pillow and sheets given to her. She was taken into the basement levels of whatever this place was, but she still hasn't seen her father. The skinny man that took her in must have done something to her, because all she remembered after Lexington and his squad were taken out was waking up in this room. Of course she tried the door, but it was locked from the other side tightly.

If she stood on top of some of the boxes that were close to the door, she could see through the window. Outside was a computer room, with only a few men in lab coats inside. The head of them all was a nerdy looking man, young, smart, but completely miserable where he was. She could tell by the look in his face. He sometimes would open the door and go into the room with her, making sure she was alright and asking her if she needed anything, but she never said anything.

"Mr. Emmerich, these calibrations seem a bit off."

"Try tuning down the frequency by twelve degrees, then enter the coolant once the gauges balance out. I'll be right back." The young man said. Ellen watched as he made his way towards the room she was in. She jumped off of the boxes and moved away.

"H-hello again…" He said. Ellen turned away, throwing the blanket over herself. Mr. Emmerich sighed. He walked over to her and sat on the bed.

"Look, I don't… really know who you are. Or what the terrorists want with you. But all of us here… well, we've realized that the best way to get through all of this is to stick together and tough it out until rescue arrives. So, I'm sorry if I seem to be crowding you. But… I just want to make sure you're alright. You are just a little girl after all…" Mr. Emmerich said. Ellen looked over to him and saw his innocence.

"I… I just want… to see my father…" she said. Mr. Emmerich looked over to her.

"Your father? Who is he? Is he here?"

"Yes… he's…Dr. Drago Madnar."

* * *

"Hahahaha! I love reloading during a fight! The rush of battle!" Ocelot shouted. Once the bullets were placed in the shafts of the revolver, he tossed the gun in the air and grabbed it in his other hand, firing a shot against the wall and making it ricochet over to Snake's leg. He jumped out of the way and fired at Ocelot. He was using the pillars in the meditation room as cover, being careful not to run into any of the wires. And when he wasn't behind cover, he was slapping his bullets away with his own.

"Damn! I can't get a beam on this guy. He just keeps avoiding my attacks!" Snake jumped to the side to avoid another bullet. He looked passed his cover and saw Ocelot reloading once again. He had to think. If he couldn't outgun the man, then he would have to try and outsmart him, and use the environment against him.

"You feel it too, don't you? The thrill of the battlefield, the rush of death creeping up on you! This is where real men belong, Snake! IN THE FIGHT!" Ocelot dashed out from cover and aimed his revolver, but Snake was nowhere to be found.

"What!?" Before he could begin to scan the area, Snake fired multiple rounds, not at Ocelot, but at the steam pipes right beside him. The steam scorched his arm and his face, knocking him back.

"GAH! DAMN YOU!" He raised his gun to aim and was prepared to fire, but stopped suddenly out of nowhere. Snake watched as he stepped back into cover and placed a finger to his ear.

"Yes, Marshall?... What? Hmph, Dr. Emmerich is proving to be more of a problem than he's worth… Fine, fine. Just let me finish… Damn, fine! I'm on my way." Ocelot grumbled to himself as he reloaded his revolver before sheathing it. He looked over to Snake, who was still behind cover. He smiled and gestured towards him with his hands.

"You're pretty good… Fortunate for you, I must take my leave. But we will meet again, I assure you… Solid Snake." Snake fired off some more shots, but Ocelot was already gone. He looked around some more, but it seemed like the door he went through was locked with a specific security card.

"Damn… he got away…" Snake said. He sheathed his Mk.23 and looked over to the girl. She had cuts and bruises, as well as burn marks on her body. She tilted her head and looked over to Snake.

"Hm… looks like… you're still standing. Good. Now… can you get me out of here?" the woman said. Snake looked at the intricate web of lines that all led to the jamming device on the wall.

"As much as I'd love to, I don't know if I can disarm this thing."

"That's alright. I watched Ocelot set it up… I can walk you through it." Snake furrowed his brow. She knew each and every step to disarm the device just from watching Ocelot set it up. As he clipped the final wire within the jammer, communications came back online, and the lines of wire hooked up to the C4 fell limp to the ground. He looked over to the red-head and sighed.

"Hold on, I need to make a call." Snake said. He crouched down and placed his finger on his ear.

"Colonel, it's Snake. I've managed to disable the jamming device, and I've also come in contact with one of the terrorists going by the name _Revolver Ocelot._" Snake said.

_~Snake, It's good to hear your voice again. I was beginning to get worried.~_ Campbell said. Snake chuckled to himself.

"It's gonna take more than that to stop me, Colonel. There's another problem, it looked like I've got a hostage here, but she's not a civilian, and not a scientist. Judging by her observation skills alone, I'd say she's part of some special military outfit." Snake said.

"Ha, wouldn't you like to know? Judging by your equipment and uniform, I'd say you're not just standard military. Just who are you?" The woman asked.

_~Do you think she's a threat?~_ Campbell asked. Snake looked over to her once more, and examined how she was chained up and wounded.

"Urg, she's got a mouth on her, but I don't think she's a threat."

_~Then free her and see if she has any information we can use. The Seal Team is nearly there, so make it quick. We've got to find Madnar.~_

It took a while, but eventually Snake managed to get the cuff completely off of the woman. Next door was a small office room with a bathroom. Snake waited outside for a good 15 minutes as the girl trapped on her gear that Ocelot had tossed in the office room. It was clear that he had no real intensions of letting her out of this room alive, but things changed luckily for them. When she came out, her face was cleaned up of blood and dirt, her hair was tied in a loose ponytail, and she was fully clothed and stocked with an M4A1 Assault Rifle with a suppressor and laser sight, two Kimber Customs, as well as an M1911 strapped on her leg with a combat knife on the other.

"You're pretty well equipped. What's your outfit?" Snake asked. The woman pushed her hair back and placed her hand to her side. She had a sly smile on her face.

"Aren't you going to ask my name first? Typical Soldier Boy, huh?" the woman said. Snake grunted.

"Names are for friends, and I don't particularly see you as one right now."

"Well seeing as though I was being tortured by the very man who just tried to kill you, I'd say that we're on the same side." The girl said. Once again, Snake grunted.

"Fine. What's your name then?"

"That's classified information. You can just call me Allana. Allana Young." She said. She could see the irritation in Snake's eyes, but then he got a call from Campbell.

"Campbell, what's up?"

_~Snake! You need to get to level B2 of the base! Something's made contact with the Seal Team! They need your help!~_ In the background, snake could hear a barrage of gunfire going off through the Colonel's communications, accompanied by horrific screams. And then there was an all too familiar voice. Marshall's.

"I'm on my way."

* * *

_Chapter 6:_

_An Old Man With A Heart Of Gold_

* * *

**_Author's Note: Wanted To upload this chapter sooner because i couldn't wait for Ocelot to show his face, as well as finally introduce Allana into the mix. One of the reviewers asked who the inspiration for Marshall was. To be honest most of it is in my head, but in order to write a good enough description i look up pictures of people, characters, or other images that help. For Marshall, i chose the look of fan arts for Riddick since they shared the same look and feel. but i also wanted a character that would be a knife fighter much like Gray Fox was.  
Hope to update soon. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Stay tuned for more!_**


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